Originally I had not planned on having Jason Kipnis among the top three on the rankings, but the recent injury to Dustin Pedroia and the potential that he misses significant time changes that. Kipnis has clearly emerged, but let’s take a look at where he and all the rest come in (taking into account both current and projected performance):

Robinson Cano – New York Yankees (1)

Ian Kinsler – Texas Rangers (3)

Jason Kipnis – Cleveland Indians (6)

Dustin Pedroia – Boston Red Sox (2)

Dan Uggla – Atlanta Braves (4)

Kelly Johnson – Toronto Blue Jays (9)

Brandon Phillips – Cincinnati Reds (7)

Michael Young – Texas Rangers (NR)

Ben Zobrist – Tampa Bay Rays (5)

Rickie Weeks – Milwaukee Brewers (8)

Howie Kendrick – Los Angeles Angels (10)

Jose Altuve – Houston Astros (12)

Dustin Ackley – Seattle Mariners (16)

Jemile Weeks – Oakland Athletics (11)

Mike Aviles – Boston Red Sox (15)

Daniel Murphy – New York Mets (13)

Omar Infante – Florida Marlins (14)

Aaron Hill – Arizona Diamondbacks (17)

Neil Walker – Pittsburgh Pirates (18)

Danny Espinosa – Washington Nationals (19)

Currently on the DL – Chase Utley, Brian Roberts

Thoughts:

Jason Kipnis has been an absolute beast this season and arguably has performed as the best 2B in the game by hitting .283 with 9 HR, 34 RBI, 35 R and 12 SB (entering play yesterday). In the past I’ve compared him to a poor man’s Ben Zobrist, but it’s becoming clear that he is much more than that. While he may not maintain this current pace, it’s clear that he has emerged as one of the elite players at his position.

Speaking of Zobrist, before you completely write him off due to his .205 average realize that he has suffered from a .221 BABIP. He’s still providing power (6 HR) and speed (5 SB) and could easily still finish as a 15/15 or 20/20 option with an improved average. While he’s got to be dropped for now, the potential is still there.

The biggest riser on the rankings was definitely Dustin Ackley, who is starting to put things together. He’s hitting .254 with 4 HR, 20 RBI, 31 R and 6 SB with the potential for so much more. His name value is still higher than his actually performance, however, so keep that in mind.

With Michael Young having appeared in 5 games at 2B this season he has gained eligibility at the position in most formats. That instantly makes him a very good play thanks to his potential to produce in one of the best lineups in the league.

3 comments

Kipnis was probably my best draft this year. I bought into all the hype I was hearing, and I am glad I did. Are you planning on updating your 3B rankings soon? I am guessing A-Ram might be out for a few, and am looking at the availables: Headley, Davis, Moustakas, Johnson, Murphy.